Leather-folding machine



(No Model.)

J. E. LAWTON. LEATHER FOLDING MACHINE.

No. 285,823. Patented Oct. 2, 1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. LAWTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LEATHER-FOLDING Mael-mala.v

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 285,823, dated October2, 1883. Application led August 9, 1883. (No model.)

To aJZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. LAwToN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements inLeather-Folding Machines, of which the following is a specication.

This invention is an improvement on leather-folding machines, and refersin particular to the type of such machines as shown in R. H. Lufkinspatent, N o. 202,844, dated April 23, 1878, and in order to more clearlyshow the'nature and the value of my improvement I have in my drawingsreproduced parts of Lufkins drawings, and have also shown my improvementas related thereto. As at present constructed, -Lufkins machine acts inthe following manner: Iarts of shoes which require folding are passedthrough its meehanism under a knife, which cuts the edge of the leather.The said parts are then carried forward by a foot and a feed-plate, andbrought under a folding-presser, which folds the edge and finish es thework ready for stitch ing. During all this time the cutting operationcontinues. It now occurs th at when parts of shoes, notably thequarters, which consist of two pieces stitched together, are folded bymeans of the said machine the knife will very often cut into the workwhen it crosses a seam, and in consequence the seam will be `injured andloosened by the knife cutting the thread.

My improvement consists, generally, in means by which I am enabled tosuspendthe cutting mechanism while the seams of parts, notably inquarters, pass under the knife while the folding operation continues.

It consists, furthermore, in special mechanism to accomplish thisresult.

In the drawings, Figure l represents the cutting and folding mechanismof R. H. Luf- `kins patent, No. 202,844, in which H is a sha'ft whichcarries the knife I). c is the foot, p the feed-plate, and w thefolding-hammer, which assists in the operation.

It will be seen thattheknife bis perlnanently attached to the shaft H,and it becomes clear, upon perusingsaid Lufkins patent, that while thefolding is going on the cutting mechanism cannot be interrupted.

'representing likeparts.

accomplish my purpose by means of an attachment which shall take theplace of the shaft H, and,without altering the machine any further, willenable me to suspend the cutting while the folding continues.

In Fig. 2 is shown an elevation of my attachment. Fig. 3 is asideelevation,`and Fig. 4 a sectional view, of the same, like letters A' isthe shaft which shall replace the shaft H in Fig.1. This shaft A has ahole, O, and a block, B, is screwed onto the lower end. In the hole C isa inovable rod, I), pressed upward by a spiral spring, E, unlessprevented by stop S. This `stop consists of a lever, which is pivoted atG into the block B, and has a ball-weight at one end, which presses afork, Z, toward the knife I. The head of the screw F, which holds theknife to the rod D, fits into the fork Z. A knob, K, is joined to therod D, and moves loosely in the slot T. xed to the shaft by means of thescrew M.

The operation is as follows: The normal condition is illustrated in Fig.2. The knife I is held firmly` because`it is prevented from slidingupward by the fork Z, which has caught the head of screw F. As soon,however, as a seam in the quarter is about to bev shifted by the machineunder the knife I the operator presses on the knob K with theforefinger, and, having relieved the spring-pressure from the stop-forkZ, the thumb is placed against the ball of lever S, the fork is movedthereby away from screw F, and therod D, with the knife, slides upward,and the material, or rather the seam, can pass through without beingeut. This position is shown in Fig. 4, and the folding mechanism notbeing affected, the folding of the materiakcontinues. After the seam haspassed beyond the knife the operator merely presses down the knob K,moves the screw F beyond the fork Z, when the fork will again catch inover the screw F by means of the ball-weight, and thereby iix the rodand the knife into normal position, (shown in Fig. 2,) ready for againresuming the operation of cutting.

l. In a leather-folding machine, the knife I,

The spiral E is I will now show in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 hcw I l 50 incombination with the mechanism, substan# roo tizdly as described, forthe purpose of rendering Iolie said knife inoperative while the folding'continues, as set. forth.

2. In :Heather-folding machine, the combination of rod D, knife Lwithpin or screw F, and

stop Z, substantially as described.

8. In 2L ]e2Lt,he1-fo1ding machine, the pressknob K, in combination withrod D and knife I, substantially as :uid foi' the purpose set forth.

In testimony Wheieof have signed my name 1o to this specification, inthepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 7 th doy of August, 1883.

JOHN E. LAWTON.

Vtn esses: Gno. XV. PIERCE, D. E. RICHARDS.

